An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c17.s5: 12.5 Head-rests
An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c17.s5
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12.5 Head-rests
v1.c17.s5.1
Head-rests are objection of handmade burnished grey ware with a conical base and concave top, sometimes bearing post-firing painting in red ochre. At PIKLIHAL two groups of patinated rock bruisings of similar objects have been found. They occur only in the Neolithic levels in Karnataka [4.6.9]—at T. NARASIPUR (burial), MUTTALAVADI, BUDHITITTU, HALLUR and HEMMIGE: a single specimen from Tamil Nadu—MALAPPADI, Dt Dharmapuri—is an exceptional find. Their function is conjectured from: (i) the use of some similar objects by African tribes as head-rests; (ii) the find of similar objects in the Nile valley of Egypt dating from the Pre-Dynastic to Roman times in burial contexts; and (iii) the hieroglyphic symbol for such objects. The Egyptian representations are close to the Karnataka specimens. The association of *ragi* (*Elucine caracona*) [2.2.1], a millet native to Africa, in the Neolithic levels of HALLUR may indicate its dispersal from and ancient maritime contacts with Africa. Chronologically the Karnataka specimens belong to the late Neolithic and the Tamil Nadu one to the Neolithic-Megalithic [4.17.9] overlap phase.
v1.c17.s5.2
For sites see respective entries in vol. II.–K.S. RAMACHANDRAN